Hawaii Hotel

“The Hawaii - a gem in the gold!”

My partner and I booked the Hawaii, Marmaris for the weather and the all inclusivity, for a warm and relaxing getaway. Marmaris itself is a little like Skegness on steroids but without the arcades - if you're not being 'encouraged' to buy a selection of football shirts or designer wear, it's the 'd… more

My partner and I booked the Hawaii, Marmaris for the weather and the all inclusivity, for a warm and relaxing getaway. Marmaris itself is a little like Skegness on steroids but without the arcades - if you're not being 'encouraged' to buy a selection of football shirts or designer wear, it's the 'dining experience like no other' until you walk five more steps along the sea front walk. Please don't misunderstand, the people of Marmaris are very nice and there was never any aggression or nastiness, I've just never experienced 'marketing' on that level before! As my first ever experience of an all inclusive sun holiday, the Hawaii takes 5 shiny stars, the staff were friendly, helpful and there was nothing that was too much trouble, from bar to restaurant to maintenance to housekeeping we we're royally looked after (My partner now insists I bow and refer to her as M'Lady.......). ISSUES! There's always something isn't there? However all these were dealt with before the day was out and promptly forgotten about - beds are a tad on the firm side for a big Jessie like me who likes to sink into the bedding, the delightful housekeeper ("We love you too!!") provided a blanket and duvet which we used as a topper, which surficed. Wires sticking out of the bathroom wall possibly where a hairdryer once was, again promptly dealt with and professionally covered. Shower door ill-fitting but didn't affect the use. Its fair to say we were a bit disappointed at first when we entered the room, as the TUI listing pictures make the rooms look bigger than they are, however the room was as listed, we didn't request any specifics like sea view, and who goes to Turkey to lie in a room for seven days? The TV could do with an extending bracket (Room 101) as it's in an alcove so both people can't see the full screen when lying on the bed. The overall cleanliness of the hotel was excellent, the pool, not too big, just about right, glistening and clear with twice a day checks and a clearly visible temperature and levels board, and generally enough sun beds to go round. I was nervous about the food but there was always plenty of selection with salads and fruits and three or four hot choices, different every lunch and evening, as well as the highlight of my meals, which were the desserts/sweets. Beautifully presented and extremely enticing, they have added considerably to my ever expanding girth. They frequently cooked outdoors on the grills, including a full size kebab machine and the best tasting grilled turkey meat I've ever had. The snacks at around 4.30pm were the same every day, burgers, nuggets and chips with all the trimmings, but a little similarity never hurt anyone and it certainly didn't stop anyone (including me), always a queue and freshly cooked in front of you. We are NOT morning people and until the last day didn't make it for breakfast, but when we did, the selections were plentiful and if you can't find something to whet your appetite then maybe you're the issue. An extra cost are the cocktails but I'd highly recommend - especially the watermelon daiquiri - huge thing, not expensive but very more-ish!! This was the end of the season but they had a belly dancer on the Saturday night followed by a traditional dance troupe which was great and the staff encouraged the guests to join in at the end of the performance. We checked out Tuesday morning and there were further jollies planned for that evening. We had a slight issue when a cheap phone adaptor blew and our electricity went, but each room is individually fused and each floor - the maintenance man tested the sockets, reset and we were good to go in no time. Lesson? Make sure you take an appropriate adapter or buy one of reasonable quality while you're there. I've saved one of our highlights until last - the in-hotel spa. We were advised to get a Turkish bath on arrival, apparently its good for your skin and aids sunbathing (I'm still 'pale blue' my natural colour, just smoother, cleaner skin!). It's a small facility, comprising sauna, bath house, massage rooms and treatment chairs (including fish pedicure tank! ) which offers a wide range of services and treatments. We opted for the Buddha Classic, Sauna, followed by Turkish bath with full exfoliation, then a clay mask (thrown in freebie) ending with a full massage, total time around one and a half to two hours. The two lady's who looked after us were very, very good - so good we repeated the visit before we left. €60 each (approx £55) very good value - many thanks to Soya and the team. The level of service here is nearer a five star rather than the three this hotel has, it is very well maintained, very clean and made our trip very, very enjoyable. Visit the Grand Bazaar, and if you have a late flight home, take the Turtle Beach excursion (if you're with TUI) it's better than sitting around for ten hours! I would revisit the Hawaii in a heartbeat, it's kindle a desire to travel again, sooner rather than later - I've already booked my next destination. Good luck for next season guys you deserve it!

less